Everyone thinks that just because I was trained as a professional pastry baker, worked in a host of bakeries, was a caterer for close to 20 years, and write about baking, that when I want to make a little something sweet I spend all day in the kitchen. I am visualized with all sorts of magnificent creations of multiple layers, daring icings, the gelato machine whirling, caramelized sugar, creating ribbons of chocolate peeling off pieces of vinyl floormat, and zillions of homemade cookies.
I confess. I have all sorts of “secret” shortcuts to creating unbelievably delicious and beautiful desserts.
My philosophy is not one of functioning like I am in a production kitchen every day, but one of simplicity and utilizing modern conveniences. I want desserts that appeal to all the senses, especially TASTING even better than they look. Yes, I love to bake, but yes I also love commercial cake mixes. I love ready-made angel food cake. And yes, I love being in and out of the kitchen in as short a time as possible, yet show up at a gathering with something people really want to eat, or have a rather delectable dinner party dessert for friends.
So here are my top five secret weapons for the assembly of a luscious homey dessert. None are difficult to prepare. The reality is they are quite ordinary. What you need is a dash of organization, a few pieces of equipment, using components you probably already have on hand in the freezer or pantry, and just plain taking the time. I hope you get as much enjoyment and satisfaction out of these favorites as I do.
1• Commercial cake mixes. I love Duncan Hines yellow and devil’s food cake mixes and love even more to buy them on sale for 50 cents a box. They make fabulous tube cakes and people always ask for the recipes. I mix the yellow cake with a package of cornbread mix and created the most light cake similar to amor polenta, the Italian cornmeal butter cake. As I was developing as a baker, I went through a phase of only making every single cake from scratch. I don’t want to discourage that since that is how you will expand your repertoire and technique as a serious baker, but one day my teenage little sister made a gold layer cake with chocolate frosting and placed it on mom’s gorgeous pedetal cake plate. It was divine. It was also Duncan Hines. I was in shock. It was delicious. A reader sent in her secret weapon: boxed angel food cake made into two 9-inch bar loaf cakes for easy slicing. “For less than three dollars, 1 1/4 cups of water, 1 1/2 minutes mixing time, and about 45 minutes baking time, you can have two 9 inch bars of angel food cake and there’s so much to be done with them,” she wrote. “I freeze one and have it ready for a quick dessert. With the berry season just starting, it’s ready for fruit, whipped cream or frozen topping, and anything else your heart desires. And it’s fat free!!! Betty Crocker now carries a line of gluten free cake mixes.
yellow cake batter ready to go into the oven
2• Commercial brownie mix. This is just one of the secrets of the universe how you can make brownies from a mix and it seem like homemade. I had dinner at a friend’s house and she served brownies for dessert. One bite and I had to have the recipe for the flavor and texture were perfect. Oh geeze, she smiled, it was the box of Safeway house brand. I couldn’t believe it. My favorite brand now is made by Ghirardelli. I like to “jazz” up the mix with pecans or macadamia nuts, a liqueur for the liquid, or cut into individual squares and place in those silver foil muffin cup liners and top with a patted dry canned mandarin orange piece (you want to use some of the drained orange liquid in the recipe). For adults, toss some prunes with a tablespoon or two of Armagnac or some dried cherries with Cherry Marnier and let stand at room temperature an hour or so; fold them into batter. I also like to add Bailey’s Irish Cream or Kahlua liqueur in place of the 1/3 cup water, or for a mint brownie, add 3 tablespoons Vandermint liqueur for the same amount of water. Never underestimate a brownie sundae: a square of brownie, a scoop of vanilla, chocolate, or coffee ice cream, warm goopy chocolate sauce or caramel sauce, whipped cream (go ahead and use from the can), and toasted nuts or a maraschino cherry on top. Don’t make the sundaes too big; a 3-inch square piece of brownie and a small scoop of ice cream is plenty.
3• Ready made angel food cake. Here is a place for an epiphany. Once I went to a girlfriend’s house for dinner. Dessert was an angel food cake from the local supermarket bakery. She slathered the whole surface with thick homemade blackberry preserves, then coated it with whipped cream. “Oh, I will pass on this one,” I thought. “Probably too sweet. And gee, a bought cake.” Well, I literally ate 
my words. All the guests had seconds and that is a memory at least 20 years old at this writing. The cake can also be cut into three layers, sandwiched with fresh or frozen thawed berries, and frosted with a cream cheese-whipped cream. If you are really pressed for time, just serve fruit (anything from fresh peaches to plums to oranges sprinkled with a bit of Grand Marnier) with white chocolate whipped cream on the side (melt a small bar of white chocolate with a pint of cream and splash of vanilla; cover and chill, then whip it up). Outstanding for birthdays and magical looking with a ring of whole strawberries around the top.
Cream Cheese Whipped Cream Frosting
- 1 1/2 cups chilled heavy cream
- 1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
- 3/4 to 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
In a chilled bowl with an electric mixer, whip the heavy cream until soft peaks form. Remove to another bowl and set aside. Without washing the bowl, switch to the paddle attachment and whip the cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla until light and fluffy. On low speed, fold in the whipped cream. Makes enough to frost one 9-inch angel food cake.
4•Sorbet with raspberry coulis and cookies. I used to make all my own sorbets from scratch for catering. Then came the sorbet renaissance. There are the most lip-smacking, outrageous sorbets in the freezer section. People on all sorts of special diets will eat sorbet. From Dreyer’s and Hagen Daz there are flavors like mandarin orange with passion fruit, blueberry, coconut, peach, and of course, mango. Seattle Sorbet offers really unique flavors such as Tequila Lime and Blackberry Cabernet. I have even seen some artisan brands made with fresh flower petals. The secret here is the serving bowl. I use margarita glasses on a salad plate with a gold or silver dollie to keep it from slipping. Anything with a stem looks smashing, just not too fragile since you are using a spoon. Use a small ice cream scoop and have 3 complementary, yet visually different, kinds of sorbet. Mix and match. Make a raspberry coulis from a bag of frozen unsweetened raspberries, the baker’s secret sauce to make everything special. Then top with some whole fresh berries (raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, or strawberries), toasted nuts, or crushed crystallized ginger. I serve a little plain cookie on the side, like Walker’s shortbread fingers or a real coconut macaroon, or a homemade slice-and-bake cookie dough out of my freezer. Your no-fat food friends will worship you.
Raspberry Coulis
A coulis (pronounced koo-LEE), is a French term for a barely sweetened fruit purée that is used as a sauce. You can make double or triple the amount of raspberry sauce and keep it in the freezer for impromptu serving on ice cream, sorbet, cheesecake, poundcake, you name it. This recipe works perfectly with strawberries and blackberries as well.
- 3 half pint baskets fresh raspberries, washed, or 3 cups frozen unsweetened raspberries (about 1 pound 2 ounces)
- 1/2 cup sugar, to taste
- 3 tablespoons orange juice, Grand Marnier or berry liqueur
Place the berries in a bowl and sprinkle with the sugar. Let stand at room temperature on the counter at least 1 hour to macerate; if the berries are frozen, just let them set until they defrost. Add the juice and push through a wire sieve to remove the seeds and purée. Pour into a storage container or bowl. Store, covered, in the refrigerator until serving or up to 3 days. Serve chilled. Makes about 2 1/2 cups. Store in the freezer 3 months.
5• Fruit cobbler. This is a simple yellow cake that takes minutes to mix and never fails to delight. You top the batter with some fruit, whatever you have, sprinkle with sugar and bake. Sort of like a muffin cake. We used to make this all the time at the restaurant for a country style dessert. I have an 8-inch square ceramic pan and it looks real rustic and appealing in it. You can make it with any fruit: fresh, canned, or frozen, and it works fine. The exact amount does not even matter. My favorite fruits include Santa Rosa plums from the local farmer’s market, combination of red rhubarb and strawberries, Bosc pears, sliced papaya, big Watsonville raspberries, even a can of drained sour pie cherries. It comes out of the oven, cools to warm, and you serve with a pitcher of cold Horizon organic heavy cream. This is really really good home baking.
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